Blood Brothers
by Agent Ekis
Summary: Alois Trancy's fate is about to change forever as a new, mysterious protector enters his life.
1. Chapter 1

Blood Brothers

Chapter 1

A young boy lies quietly beneath his bed sheets, staring, with eyes the color of a cloudless sky, into the peaceful and tranquil night sky. His blond hair, so pure and pale, gives off a slight glint under the mystifying high moon. Everything is so undisturbed and serene on this calm Virginian farm, yet something is keeping Edwin awake. Something is bothering the blond boy. After struggling to fall asleep for what seems like hours, he gives up on trying, and leaves the comfort of his homely bed. Half asleep but not at all tired, the boy looks around his room, scanning each and every item in his view, attempting to find something to do.

Suddenly, something strange and unnatural catches his eyes. It is the mirror, or rather, what is seen on the mirror.

Instead of seeing the reflection of himself, another boy around Edwin's age, with the same pale blond hair he has, stands on the other side of the mirror. Unlike himself, the boy on the other side is dressed in fine, elaborate clothing, fit for nobody less of an aristocrat. A mysterious smile reaches the noble boy's lips as his eyes, matching the appearance of the latter, meets Edwin's, as if he can read Edwin's thoughts. Astonished, Edwin slowly takes a step closer to his mirror, trying to examine the other boy, identical to himself, more closely. He barely notices the shadowy figure behind the other boy as a sharp, deadly blade penetrates the well-dressed boy's stomach.

The boy gasps in pain, but no sound leaves his mouth. Without warning, the blade pulls out of the wounded boy's abdomen. His vital fluids begins to pour out of the large gash on his stomach, seeping through his detailed clothing and painting it in a dark shade of red. The boy soon falls on to his knees, as he coughs up blood through his mouth.

For one last time, the boy on the other side stares desperately at Edwin, and mumbles one single sentence.

"Help me, _brother_."

* * *

Edwin's eyes snaps open, as he frantically examines his surroundings. Slowly, things begin to register in his mind. He is sitting in a horse cart, traveling along with his companion in the middle of a cool, late-summer night. As it turns out, that was just another nightmare, the same one that had appeared in Edwin's mind so many times before. He leans back against the wooden side, and lets out a relieving sigh.

"Another bad dream, Master Edwin?" Adam asks, while handing Edwin a small napkin, "You seem to be having a lot of those lately."

"Yeah," the blond boy responds as he wipes the sweat off of his forehead. "Must be all that damn filth back in London. I couldn't even breathe properly there!" Edwin replies as he tosses the napkin back to Adam, giving the latter a little nod.

"I understand, Master," Adam states straightforwardly, "this place is nothing like the countryside of Virginia." He then folds up his napkin and places it back in his pocket. He looks back at Edwin with sincerity. "We're so far away from home. I'm sure you miss it a lot-"

"I do." Edwin interrupts, and gazes at Adam, with determination burning in his azure eyes. "I miss home more than ever. However I have a job to do, and that's why we're here in England, thousands of miles away from home." Edwin gazes past Adam into the refreshing English countryside. "I _will_ know the truth."

"Yes Master," Adam answers, "I'm sorry that I asked." Adam knew he shouldn't have asked such a nonchalant question. Edwin is only an adolescent boy, and yet he willingly place his life in danger. He had traveled half way around the world, just to fulfill a behest given by his dying father. Adam looks down, and takes a deep breath. This boy, Edwin, is no average boy, but his brave, selfless master, and that is why Adam shall follow and protect him until the end of time, a task Adam couldn't accomplish to his previous master.

"Adam," Edwin says boringly, interrupting Adam's train of thoughts, "Don't you think this is funny?" Edwin looks back at Adam, and sighs. "I'm nothing more than a mere country boy, yet here I am, across the ocean from my farm, journeying all around a foreign country following a request given by a dead man."

"You are no mere country boy." the look on Adam's face as he looks into the eyes of Edwin is just as determined as the latter's a minute earlier. "You are my master, and no master of mine had been a 'mere country boy'." Edwin, surprised by Adam's sudden outburst, stares at Adam and begins to laugh uncontrollably.

Adam had been his guardian and protector for the past five years, after the death of Edwin's father, Nathaniel. The blond boy had known Adam for as long as he could remember. Back when Edwin was a child, Adam always looked after him, and helped his him and his father on the farm, with household chores, and all kinds of other tasks. He also spent many long, hard hours hunting in the woods with Edwin, and trained Edwin to become a skilled marksman. Adam was like the brother that Edwin never had.

In truth, Edwin never knew the relationship between himself and Adam, but when asked, the latter always answered that he is Edwin's servant, protector and companion. As a companion, Adam had been doing a remarkable job following the blond boy's orders and protecting his always-in-danger life. For that, Edwin looks at Adam as a iconic brother, instead of just a petty servant.

"Seriously," Edwin half chuckles, recovering from his laughters, "stop calling me 'master'. I don't think of you as my servant!"

"I'll try, Master." Adam closes his eyes, stands up in the carriage, and makes a deep bow.

"God, you're helpless." Edwin chuckles, as he gestures for his good friend to sit down. "Anyway," Edwin continues, "what do you mean that I'm _not_ a country boy? That's just who I am. After all, I've spent my whole life on an isolated countryside farm, and if that's doesn't make me a country boy, then I don't know what does."

Adam grins oddly as he listens to Edwin, as if he knows something his master doesn't. "Sometimes," the boy's companion replies, "things aren't as simple as they appear."

What is that suppose to mean? Right when Edwin opens his mouth to question Adam, the boy hears a shout from the driver. Less than a second later, something collides with their carriage, knocking Adam and himself on to the rough, wooden floor. Immediately, the experienced driver pulls the cart to a stop alongside the road, preventing any further damage to be done.

Edwin groans angrily as he tries pull himself back on his seat.

"Master!" Adam calls worriedly as he rushes to Edwin, "Are you alright?" Seeing that his master is not badly hurt, the faithful friend lets out a relieving sigh.

"Adam, what just happened?" Edwin asks nervously, rubbing his sore neck and not staring into the pitch-black night.

"I believe another coach had just crashed with ours, Master." Adam answers calmly as he takes a quick peak at the other carriage.

It is an ebony coach drawn by two large, brown horses, its delicate and fascinating designs made obvious that this fancy ride can belong to nobody less of a nobleman. However, all the fine details of the vehicle surprise Adam less than its odd, well-dressed driver, whose crimson eyes almost seems to glow under the shining moonlight.


	2. Chapter 2

Blood Brothers

Chapter 2

Ciel Phantomhive looks out into the dark countryside as he sits agitatedly in his comfortable horse carriage, wondering what had stopped it. The busy earl has little patience for this kind of complications, especially returning from London to his lavish manor on a late night like this one. God knows what his perplexing butler is up to now, that demon always have everything perfectly planned out.

Hopefully, his butler didn't injure anyone in this incident. The Earl does _not_ wish to attend and pay for a funeral, he is way too busy for that sort of business. Nevertheless, he better go and check on whoever his carriage had accidentally crashed into. Ciel swiftly hops out of his elaborate coach, and walks towards the much plainer horse-cart.

As if on cue, Ciel hears two voices coming from the damaged vehicle, and judging by their rather calm tone, the young earl concludes that no one had been seriously hurt. That's relieving, now all he has to do is to apologize to the poor lads, and perhaps offer them a ride to their destination.

"Sebastian!" the Earl impatiently turns to his suave butler, who is still sitting on the driver's seat, with that usual, mysterious look of his plastered on him. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go make an apology!" When the dark haired boy turns to look at the other party, his jaws drop as he find himself facing none other than his nemesis. Even in the midst of the night, the features of that blond boy can't escape Ciel's notice.

"Alois Trancy!" the aristocratic boy cries in a mix of shock and hostility as he points right at Edwin.

"Is he talking to us?" the puzzled blond gazes at his companion, who slowly nods in reply. Edwin looks back at the young nobleman, wondering what is wrong with the poor lad. "He must have bumped his head or something," Edwin laughs, "I sure hope he's okay."

A smirk reaches the young Earl's lips as he casually walks towards his arch-rival and the stranger with him. "It certainly is relieving to know that _you_ are the one I almost accidentally killed, instead of some innocent countryside traveler. In fact, It's quite disappointing that I _didn't_ just kill you right here, Trancy!"

What are the chances, meeting his nemesis out in an isolated place like this in the middle of the night and almost killing him. Strange, the stoic boy thinks to himself, but Alois Trancy is Alois Trancy after all, and that cunning blond is probably planning something right now.

Edwin, on the other hand, is completely oblivious of what the dark-haired Earl had just said. Why is that rich boy acting so rude in front of someone he almost injured? Why does that boy seem to know him and call him Alois Trancy? All these unanswered questions, Edwin decides to ask the young Earl. But first, the blond has to get something straight.

"I'm sorry, but I am not this _Alois_ person you're speaking of." Edwin says, slightly annoyed at his opponent's cocky attitude. "My name is Edwin, Edwin Matthews, and I'm just traveling in England. Have we ever met back in America?"

"America…what?" the Earl snaps, a surprised look on his face. Ciel walks up to the blond boy, and takes a closer look at him. On a more detailed examination, the young noble realizes that this boy does have some minor differences from the Earl of Trancy, such as his flaxen, shaggy hair, the messy style definitely does not suit Alois. Unlike the normal Alois, this one is dressed with fairly plain clothes and is not wearing that distinct, haughty purple jacket, nor is he acting in that coquettish way of his. The butler is also no where to be seen, and the Earl of Trancy Ciel knows never lets that Claude leave his sights. Ciel gasps just scolded a traveling stranger that he almost killed.

"Shit…I mean, I'm terribly sorry for this mistake." Ciel immediately apologizes embarrassedly to Edwin. "You see, Mister Matthews, I have this…enemy who looks exactly like you, and I thought you were him! Please, forgive my unmannerly conducts." The young Earl bows deeply, further stunning the already-puzzled Edwin.

Something is _certainly_ wrong with this wealthy kid. First insulting Edwin like he knows the Virginian boy, now apologizing because he had mistaken Edwin for someone else who looks exactly like him? Wait…someone else who looks the same! Realization strikes Edwin as bits and pieces of cloudy memory enters his mind.

The aristocratic boy that looks just like himself in all these dreams, the one who calls Edwin brother and begs for help.

His father's last dying requests to him, to find his long lost, abandoned sibling in England.

A smile reaches the blond boy's lips. _Alois Trancy_, Edwin ponders, _So that's your name. _Glancing out into the quiet countryside, shrouded by darkness, the boy whispers to himself, "I'm coming for you."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note:

I am still alive, yes, and I must be either the laziest writer alive to have waited so long to finish this chapter. School work and exams take up a large amount of my free time, and I apologize for such a long wait to anyone (I hope) who is still reading this. The next two chapters are already in development, and it will take a lot less time for me to finish them than this one. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Agent Ekis

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 3

The lone carriage travels swiftly on the dirt path, under the silver moon past the quiet countryside. Inside lies an unusual group of passengers, one of which is already in deep sleep. The other two, the Earl of Phantomhive and a dark-haired man slightly older than the first, is engaged in a friendly conversation about the dozing blond boy lying on the seating beside them.

"So he had been traveling since his father's death," Ciel says regretfully, eyeing the quiet, serene blond, his pale hair glowing under the moonlight, "And you are the only family member he has left."

"Well, I am nothing more than his servant," Adam says calmly, "But after all those long years, we're like brothers to each other." Observing Edwin's peaceful, snoozing form, Adam chuckles. "He is still much like an innocent child, sailing through his dreams right now."

The young Earl smiles, somewhat astonished by that someone with a past so tragic can still live a life so gratifying and peaceful. Looking out into the dark, Ciel manages to see the outline of his manor. "The estate is near," The Earl announces gladly, "We shall arrive in a matter of minutes."

"That's great to hear!" The sleeping boy suddenly yells, drawing the attention of the other two. The Earl throws a questioning look at Adam, who laughs in response.

"Were you awake this whole time?" Ciel asks, pondering just how long had the blond been eavesdropping on their talk. _Sailing through his dreams? _Earl Phantomhive thinks to himself, _certainly_.

Edwin yawns deeply with his arms upright before answering the Earl's question, "I wasn't awake, I can just listen in my sleep."

"I know of none who can accomplish that." Ciel says doubtfully, and glances at Adam, silently demanding an answer.

"My master _does_ have some uncommon skills," Adam replies with a grin, "Earl Phantomhive."

* * *

The Earl's horse coach comes to a stop in front of the Phantomhive Estate. Stepping off the carriage, Edwin almost falls to the ground, his mind too fascinated by the huge and beautiful manor, luckily Adam is quick enough to grab the blond by his arm. "Be careful," Adam sighs, "Master."

Leaving his lord and the two Americans, Sebastian brings the ebony carriage to the stables. The trio is quickly greeted by the clumsy housekeepers of Earl Phantomhive, all of whom rushes out of the large set of front doors at once.

"Master, you're home!" Three of the Earl's servants shout excitedly in unison, while another, much elder one stands behind them, occasionally taking a sip from his oriental teacup. _What an unusual looking group of servants_, Adam ponders, _I wonder where Earl Phantomhive managed to find them_.

"Edwin, Adam," The young nobleman calls for the two's attention, "Allow me to introduce my servants."

Pointing at the young man with light orange hair and a straw hat on his back, the Earl says, "This is Finnian, my gardener." Moving his hand to the next man, with dirty blond hair and a cigarette sticking out of his mouth, "This is Baldroy, my chef." Ciel then points toward the red-haired maid with a pair of oversized glasses, "This is my maid Mey-Rin." Finally, the earl directs the two's eyes toward the elderly, well-dressed steward, "This is the previous head butler of my mansion, Tanaka, who now serves as an advisor to all my servants. Of course, you two have previously met my head butler Sebastian on our way here."

The Earl then looks at the four servants, and speaks to them in a somewhat strict tone, "Finnian, Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Tanaka, these two fine gentlemen are traveling here in Britain from the United States, and will be staying at my estate for a while. Treat them like you would to me, and _please_ do not embarrass yourselves."

"Yes, Master!" The three servants shout again in unison, while Tanaka takes another sip of what Adam assumes as Japanese green tea.

* * *

"You know," Edwin says to Adam as he unpacks his luggage, "This didn't turn out so bad. In fact, I'd say we're pretty lucky."

After departing from Earl Phantomhive, the two travelers are brought to their well-furnished and decorated guest room by the Earl's servants. It is getting late, and the tired Edwin thinks of nothing other than a good sleep.

"This is great!" the young blond cries happily as he leaps on to the large, comfortable bed. "Leave everything for tomorrow morning, Adam," Edwin calls to his servant, "Get some rest."

"I'll be finished in a minute, Master," Adam replies without looking, "You can go ahead and rest first."

The young blond wants to protest, but all of his energy soon escapes his body as he lies on the large, soft bed. Before realizing it, Edwin again enters a peaceful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

Another chapter for my readers, enjoy and review!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 4

Edwin awakes to the bright sunlight dancing across his face. It had been a quiet and dreamless night for the young blond, a rare and precious night, not plagued by the countless nightmares. Sitting up on the large bed, Edwin rubs his eyes, and takes a close look at the wooden clock next to the sofa. Then, the subject, or rather, person, lying on the sofa catches the boy's eyes.

"Adam!" Edwin yells, surprised, "What-why are you on the _couch_?"

The boy's shouting instantly wakes his servant up, and in less than a second, Adam is on his feet and wide awake.

"Yes, Master?" the dark-haired servant replies with a smile.

Noticing that Adam is fully dressed, Edwin assumes that the dutiful servant did not even bother to remove his clothing before going to sleep. _He must have been really tired_, the blond thinks to himself.

"As I was saying," Edwin continues, "Why did you spend your night on the sofa? This queen-size bed is designed for two people, and you could have slept on the bed!"

"Master, you were asleep by the time I had finished my chores, and I did not wish to wake you up, so I-"

"You didn't need to _torture_ yourself for my needs, you know! Plus, you know I don't wake up easily unless I choose to."

Throwing another glance at the clock, the young blond quickly studies the time.

"Damn, it's already noon!" Edwin moans agitatedly and reaches for his cloths, "Come on, let's get moving, or we'll miss lunch too."

* * *

"Ah, I see that you two are awake," Earl Phantomhive exclaims upon seeing the two Americans enter the large dining room. "I hope the evening was pleasant for you both!"

"Good morning!" Edwin replies as he examines the beautiful dining room, wondering if the there are any rooms in the Phantomhive manor that will ever cease to amaze him.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," the blond boy turns his attention to the Earl and says gratefully, "I don't know how we can repay your kindness."

"Do not worry about such minor details," Earl Phantomhive replies with a laugh, "After all, it was my carriage that ran into yours, and I myself am not even sure if this is enough of an apology! Now, please take a seat and enjoy lunch."

"Yeah," Edwin replies with a smile as he sits down. As soon as both the blond boy and his servant are seated, the Earl's servant, clad in black, enters the dining room, holding two plates of food.

"Bon appetite," the suave butler says as he gently sets Edwin's meal in front of the boy and his servant. Instantly, the wonderful aroma of the delicious cuisine reaches the boy's senses, seducing him to take a bite. The young traveler had not eaten anything for almost a day, and at this moment, he is, to say the least, very hungry. Feeling his stomach grumble, the drooling boy says a quick prayer, and attacks his tasty meal.

"Wow," Edwin exclaims after taking the first bite, "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad that the flavors suit you," Earl Phantomhive answers calmly, somewhat amazed by the hunger of Edwin, "…Mister Matthews."

Cramming spoonfuls of food into his mouth, the starving blond quickly finishes his lunch and fulfills his appetite.

"I'm awfully sorry about my poor manners," the young traveler says as he wipes his mouth with a napkin, "I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday, and I don't behave at my best when I'm hungry."

"Do not worry about that," the Earl replies coolly, "Now that you are no longer on an empty stomach, perhaps you could satisfy my curiosity by answering some questions?"

"Of course," Edwin looks at Adam, "I myself also have some-"

A loud clatter, followed by another, disrupts the boy from finishing his sentence. Adam quickly stands up, and whispers to the blond boy, "Master, would you mind if I go help with the chores around the mansion?"

"Sure, Adam," Edwin answers back, "I have to speak with the Earl, privately, anyway."

With a bow, the boy's servant swiftly leaves his master and Earl Phantomhive. As he walks down the hall, Edwin could hear Adam asking to help the other servants in the large estate.

* * *

The late afternoon sun shines brightly across the decorated dining hall within the Phantomhive estate. The large room is mostly empty, aside from two young souls, indulging themselves in a close game of chess.

"I see," Ciel replies after the lengthy conversation with Edwin about the reason for his long journey. "So you had been saving money for a trip to England since the death of your father two years ago, who," The Earl takes a small sip from his porcelain tea cup, and repositions his knight on the chessboard, "Instructed you to come here and look for a special person whom he really cared for."

The blond boy's words match exactly those of his servant's, so he cannot be lying. Then again, Edwin did claim he could listen while he sleeps. As Ciel wonders on about the legitimacy of blond's claim, the blond boy plans his next move.

"Check!" Edwin says with a grin as he places his queen next to the Earl's king. For the first time, the young traveler notices the eye-patch that covers the Earl's right eye, and he wonders what kind of incident could have caused such an injury. Perhaps a sickness since birth? Or an accident at the stables? Shaking his head, the boy thinks to himself, _I shouldn't guess about Earl Phantomhive's past, for_ _who am I to intrude his privacy?_

Suddenly, as if knowing his opponent's strategy all along, Ciel moves his own queen next to the unsuspecting Edwin's king.

Taking another small sip of tea, the Earl of Phantomhive looks into the sky-blue eyes of Edwin, and adds, "Mate."

The blond's eyes widen, and he takes a closer look at the chessboard, trying to find a non-existing way to change the tide of the game. Realizing that it is hopeless, he sighs and sits back on his cushioned seat, and turns to the amused Ciel.

"How did you do that?" Edwin asks with curiosity, "I thought I was going to win for sure!"

"Sometimes, there are more to what the board reveals," Earl Phantomhive says as he looks again into the eyes of Edwin, "And what you see could easily betray you."

The blond ponders the Earl's statement for a few seconds, before taking a drink, for the first time, from his own cup of tea. Edwin almost spits it all out, as the flavor proves too pungent for his liking.

"Not enjoying the tea?" the young Earl asks, trying to hold back his laughter.

"Too bitter for me," Edwin replies while coughing, "Can I just get a cup of water?"

Once again, Earl Phantomhive's mysterious butler enters the dining room, carrying with him exactly what Edwin had in mind, a cup of water. Placing it next to the blond boy, the dark-haired servant smiles and asks if the boy would like anything else.

"I'm fine, thanks!" replies the boy, amazed at the precision and skill of Ciel's servant.

Upon making a quick bow, the gentle butler leaves the two.

"Like I said," the blond continues with their conversation, no longer having to concentrate his mind on a game of chess, "I had a few questions I wanted to ask, and I'll greatly appreciate it if you could answer them for me."

"Of course," the dark-haired boy replies, "It would be my pleasure."

"Thank you very much!" Edwin clears his throat, "I remember you calling me…what was the name again?"

"_Alois Trancy_," Ciel answers harshly, suddenly changing his mood, "What about that bastard?"

"Hmm, I sense that you dislike him quite a bit," the blond says, and sensing the sudden shift of tone in Ciel's voice, he tries carefully not to further provoke his host.

"But thanks anyway for that piece of information," Edwin takes a drink from his cup of water, "Now would you mind telling me where he can be found? That will be very-"

"You wish to go look for him?" The Earl of Phantomhive questions the blond loudly, surprised and amazed, refusing to believe why anyone would want to visit his eccentric nemesis.

"Indeed," the American boy replies coldly, "I have to settle some…unpleasant business between the two of us."

"Unpleasant business?" Ciel asks, no longer so angry, "Mind I asking what kind of _unpleasant business_?"

"One that would likely involve deaths, or dismemberment, and most likely some serious injuries that could lead to the two," Edwin lies, laughing inside at the ridiculousness of his statement and his ability to keep his poker face, "In other words, I am here in England to kill him."

The Earl is having a hard time comprehending the words spoken by the boy sitting in front of him. Taking the statement piece by piece and putting them back together, Ciel realizes the potential. Here this American boy is, sitting in the Phantomhive Estate, on a quest of revenge of some sort against his own most hated enemy. Perhaps the Earl of Phantomhive could end the menace of Alois without even laying a finger on this mess.

Looking at Edwin, Alois continues to think. It would be sad to manipulate his newly-earned friend in such a way, but then again, the Earl is not manipulating anyone, as it is the blond's own will to end the life of the Earl of Trancy. This is a situation where both can be benefited.

"Edwin," Ciel suddenly says, "Are you aware what Trancy is capable of?"

"Don't worry about that," the blond grins and continues his made-up tale of revenge, "You don't really think that all I carry in that old trunk of mine are cloths, right? You Brits may have the best uniforms, but American firearms can pack quite a punch." Edwin pretends to hold up a gun, and fires a non-existing bullet at the Earl.

A wide smirk reaches Earl Phantomhive's lips. "I shall give you that _Trancy's_ location," says the Earl, "But beware; his henchmen are a dangerous bunch. If you truly are what you claim to be, then you should be a match for them."

"Plus," Edwin adds an element of truth, "Five years in the frontier taught me more than how to handle guns and knives, and I believe myself to be quite a good shot."

"Fantastic," Ciel quickly stands up. The sun's presence is just beginning to fade on the horizon, and dinner can be heard being prepared by the staff of the large manor. "I shall have a carriage ready for you and your friend in the morning."

"Thank you, Mister Phantomhive!" Edwin replies with a smile, astonished that he had managed to make up such a believable story in such a short time.

"Please," The Earl of Phantomhive holds out a hand for his guest, "Just call me Ciel."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note:

Enjoy the new chapter, and review if you wish to notify me about anything!

Agent Ekis

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 5

After bidding farewell to the Earl, Edwin and Adam are once again seated in a carriage, bound to a place they had never before heard of. It is still early in the morning, with the orange sun barely touching the horizon, thus the young blond is still a bit light-headed. Leaning his head back against the soft cushion, Edwin takes a deep breath of the fresh, cool, morning breeze, and looks across the green countryside. Everything seems so peaceful, yet danger and death lurks around every corner.

"Master," Adam asks curiously, "How did you get Earl Phantomhive to tell you where Earl Trancy lives? What was that long conversation between you two about?"

A smirk reaches the lips of the young blond, and he looks back at his servant.

"Sometimes there are more to what the board reveals," Edwin says and gazes at the distant sun, "And what you see could easily betray you, Earl Phantomhive told me that himself."

"I made up a story about why I am here," Edwin looks back at Adam, "And Ciel believed me. I could sense his strong resentment towards this Alois since the moment we met. I was certain he would not be willing to help me to reach him in anyway, so I pretended to be an enemy of Alois, and like that, he grants me a ride straight to the den."

"That's brilliant, Master!" Adam responds with a wide smile.

The dutiful servant had always thought of his master as a fragile child, and never had he expected Edwin to be capable of such clever tricks. This brings joy and reassurance to Adam's heart, as one day, his master will have to personally deal with this dangerous world alone. Still, the loyal servant had decided that as long as Adam lives, he will protect his master with all his might. The guilt of failure still motivates his core, as he could not fulfill his agreement with the boy's father.

"Ha," Edwin laughs, "And what an irony!"

Suddenly, Adam notices a small glint from somewhere in the nearby woods. The servant's eyes widens, as he realizes from experience where the flash came from: the scope of a marksman's rifle.

* * *

"That Adam sure has a trick or two up his sleeves," Baldroy comments as he walks through one of the many hallways in the large Phantomhive Mansion alongside Finnian and Mey-Rin, "I didn't know he was that skilled of a servant!"

"Indeed!" The red-haired girl wearing the comically large glasses adds, "I've never met a man whose speed and agility could almost match that of Sebastian's. Just when I was about to clumsily drop a heap of dishes again yesterday, he rushed up, and caught all of them in a flash!"

"Oh…" The maid's face blushes as romantic thoughts flushes through her mind, "The way his gleaming eyes met with mine, I felt like I was-"

"He helped me with my works, too!" The boy with the strawberry-blond hair and big, turquoise eyes interrupts Mey-Rin, "When I was laboring under the hot sun yesterday, tending Master's garden, Adam appeared from nowhere, and asked if I needed help. Before I knew it, he had already finished taking care of all the flowers and greeneries around the mansion! I wanted to ask him how he managed to do that, but by the time I turned around, he was already gone."

"That's amazing," the man with the dirty-blond hair lights the cigarette sticking between his lips.

"Seems like he could just, show up anywhere," Baldroy continues, "When I lit a stick of dynamite in the kitchen yesterday, he appeared out of nowhere with a scissor, and cut ignited fuse just before the spark could reach the dynamite!"

The three servants remain silent, pondering about this unusual Adam and his unmentioned powers.

"He certainly is no normal servant!" The three finally says in unison and resumes their daily work.

* * *

"Ha," Edwin laughs, "What an irony! You should hav-"

The boy's companion suddenly tackles the surprised blond to the deck of the coach and covers his relatively small body with his own.

"What are you-"

A bullet smashes through the side of the carriage where Edwin was sitting two seconds ago and leaves the other side, followed by two more. The young blond quickly reaches for his large traveling trunk under the seating. Unknown to most, its contents include not only his clothing, but also a fully loaded Henry rifle.

Before the blond can grab his luggage, a hail of bullets pour on the still-moving vehicle, penetrating its flanks and shattering the windows. Splinters of wood and pieces of glass flies across the interior of the small coach, with Edwin and Adam pinned on the bottom.

"Shit!" Edwin yells over the chaotic cracks of gunfire, "Who the hell are these people? Last time I checked, average bandits do _not _have _Gatling guns_!"

"I don't know, Master!" Adam shouts, and aims his leg at the wooden side door while bullets spray past him, "But we have to get out of here!"

With a strong kick, the door, half-torn by the gunfire, breaks off from its hinges and falls on to the dirt road.

"You first, Master Edwin," The servant yells and unholsters his Colt 45 revolver, "Forgive me for my rudeness!"

Just as the blond boy opens his mouth to protest, Edwin receives a swift kick from behind, and tumbles out the moving carriage with bullets flying past him. As Adam had planned, the boy lands on a pile of soft grass, safe and unscratched. Immediately, the dark-haired servant takes aim with his revolver at the shooters, and fires two rounds with extreme precision.

Traveling at two thousand feet per second, the first .45 millimeter round passes through the leaves and branches of the forest and drives into the sharpshooter's chest. Forcing its way out the other side, the bullet splatters blood and gore on the tree behind him. The other assassin firing the Gatling gun quickly takes a look at his dead comrade, and before turning his head back at his target, the second bullet smashes through his skull, killing him instantly.

Adam lands swiftly on his feet as the carriage enters the woods, the vehicle's shocked horses stilling running without the driver. Rushing back to his master, the servant feels that something is wrong. _Where the hell is the coachman?_ Adam's mind races and he speeds up his pace, realizing the terrible mistake he had made.

* * *

Noticing that he is no longer being shot at, Edwin takes a deep breath, and lies back down on the grassy field. Why were Adam and himself attacked? Who were those attackers? Questions flood the boy's head, as he looks up at the clear, blue sky.

"Ugh, it's about to rain," the blond says to himself, judging by his experience from the harsh woods of the frontier, "I hope Adam is alright."

A twig snaps behind the boy, and Edwin instantly spins around.

"Hey, you're the driver!" The surprised Edwin calls to the approaching man, "How did you survive the attack?"

Before the boy could ask another question, the coachman pulls a concealed revolver out of his coat, and points it at Edwin. A grim smirk forms on the driver's face, as he stares into the young blond's eyes.

"So," Edwin asks cautiously and takes a step back, "You're also one of those thugs?

"It's nothing personal, really," says the man as he takes a step towards the boy, "I'm just doing what I'm paid to do. Now if you would please-"

"What in God's name is that?" A look of horror exhibits the blond's features, and he points behind the assassin.

Unmoving, the man laughs at the boy.

"You think such a childish trick can fool me?" The grim killer chuckles and lets his guard down, "What kind of idiot do you think I-"

A single gunshot rings through the green fields, and a spot of red appears on the assassin's chest. Dropping his gun, the attacker falls limp to the ground.

"Yep," Edwin grins, holding the Colt 45 that he had hidden in his coat, its chrome casting gleaming under the bright sun, "I do think you're an idiot."

* * *

"Master!" Adam calls worriedly as soon as he sees the boy, sitting peacefully on the grass and staring at the sky, "Are you alright?"

Noticing that Edwin is unharmed, the boy's servant is relieved.

"It appears that our coachman was one of the thugs, too," the blond says and points at the corpse on the ground, "But I shot him before he could shoot me."

Adam spends a moment looking at the body of their driver, before glancing back at Edwin.

"Looks like all those years I spent training you in the woods didn't go to waste," the dark-haired servant says with a smile.

"It sure didn't," Edwin answers calmly.

A couple of minutes pass as the Edwin sits there, saying nothing, and in his head, recollects the events that had just taken place.

"So," Edwin says, breaking the silence, "What now?"

"Well, looks like we're going to have to get there on foot," the servant reaches his arm towards Edwin and pulls him onto his feet, "We should get going soon if we want to get there before dark."

"You're right," the boy says, stretches his sore arms, and looks at the long road ahead, "Let's go."

* * *

Author's post-note:

I hope the weapons I described in this chapter are as historically accurate. Anyway, the next chapter, you-know-who will finally show up! Sorry it took so long...


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

To my dear readers, I have written another chapter for your enjoyment. Please enjoy and review!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 6

Gazing thoughtlessly at to the darkening horizon, the young Earl of Trancy sits comfortably on his leather chair, resting both his legs on his working desk. All of his work for the day had been taken care of by his able butler, which leaves him nothing to do but sit here and wait for the tedious day to pass.

A crude idea hits the boy, and thinking about it, he slowly gets to his feet. Despite having nothing to do, he could still find things to amuse himself around the manor. Opening the large double doors that lead outside his dull study room, a cynical smile reaches the blond boy's face lips as he finds his first victim.

"Hannah," Alois shouts coldly at his maid's direction, "There you are!"

The silver-haired maid trembles at her master's voice, and hesitantly, slowly turns to face the pale-haired earl. A white bandage covers the woman's left eye, a wound left by her sadistic master.

"Yes, Master?" Says Hannah quietly, keeping her dark-blue eye fixed on the carpet just ahead of Alois, not daring to repeat the mistake she made earlier.

Just by looking at his filthy maid disgusts Alois. Everything about her seems repulsive to him in his pale, emotionless eyes.

"Why are you not looking at me?" The Earl takes a step towards Hannah, his cruel smirk growing wide, "Are you avoiding me?"

"No," the maid says with a stutter, her eye still avoiding Alois's, "Master."

Now standing right next to the shaking Hannah, the Earl of Trancy raises his hand and prepares to strike his poor maid for his sadistic pleasure. Hannah flinches, but before Alois could touch her, his mysterious butler enters the scene.

"My Lord," the dark-haired servant with gleaming, golden eyes says with little emotion, "Two men had arrived, seeking your company."

"Seeking _me_?" Alois turns to his servant and asks with a funny look on his face, "At this time of the day? Are you sure, Claude?

"Yes, my Lord," the stoic butler responds, "Should I let them in?"

"Let me go take a look first," the Earl abandons his plans to torture Hannah, much to her relief, and proceeds down the hall with Claude.

"Did they say where they came from?"

"Apparently, they are from America."

"_America?_" Alois cries surprisingly, and wonders what those foreigners could possibly want from him.

* * *

A couple of minutes pass until the two reaches the entrance of the large estate. Alois runs to the door, and with one strong pull, opens the heavy brass door. What he sees instantly makes him speechless.

Outside stand a boy and a man. The boy looks almost exactly like the Earl of Trancy himself. His sky-blue eyes, pale-blond hair, and face; that porcelain-like, smooth face seems identical to Alois's. How is that possible? Alois stands still, staring at the boy, unable to utter a single word.

Edwin is thoroughly shocked by the person in front of him. He _is_ the boy in the mirror of his dreams, even his clothing; the purple jacket, the black bowtie and everything else matches. He also _does_ look like Edwin himself, from the texture of his hair to the color of their eyes. What is going on? Edwin is too confused and surprised to speak.

"What in the hell…?" Edwin and Alois say at the same time, breaking the silence.

"Who… who are you?" Edwin asks, wide-eyed and staring at the Earl of Trancy.

"That's my question," Alois responds, trying his hardest to return his mind to a calmer state, "So tell me who you are and explain your business here."

"Well," The American boy answers slowly, "My name is Edwin Matthews, and I have some important, uh," Edwin pauses, trying to search for the right words in his mind, "Personal issues to discuss with you, Earl Trancy."

_Personal issues?_ Alois wonders agitatedly, _I really don't have time for this._

"I'm afraid that would not be necessary," the young earl's butler says coldly, and prepares to close the doors on the two travelers, "You see, the Earl is much occupied with his daily affairs, and simply does not have the time for-"

"Oh, but we insist!" Adam suddenly says loudly, grasping the doors firmly with his hands to keep the butler from closing them, "I assure you, it is very important. Why else, do you think, would we travel all the way here to find Earl Trancy?"

"Adam…?" Edwin is surprised by his servant's sudden outburst, as he had always been gentle and polite in nature.

"We almost got killed on our way here," Adam says with much energy in his voice, "And no way in _hell_ am I just going to allow myself to fail my master!"

"My apologies," says Claude with unflinching features as he exerts an unnaturally amount of force to shut the doors, "But the Earl's time is very precious."

The doors did not budge to the slightest as Adam holds tightly on to them. Surprised, the Earl's servant gazes into Adam's emerald green eyes, and wonders how the man was able to summon such strength. Claude takes a stronger jerk, but the doors are still stiff in place.

The tension in the atmosphere is getter worse by the second, as the two servants fight over the entrance to the Trancy Estate. Edwin glances between the Adam and Claude, struggling to make the choice between entering the manor and ending the hostility. Just as the Virginian boy opens his mouth, Earl Trancy speaks.

"Claude!" Alois says coolly and catches the attention of the two Americans, "Cease your misbehaviors at once in front of our guests."

Claude stares at his master, bewildered and unable to come up with a proper response.

"Did you not hear me? The Earl yells impatiently at his butler, "Hurry up and let them in!"

Hesitantly, Claude removes his hands from the door handle, and bows to Alois.

"As you wish," the butler says bitterly, "My lord."

Looking back at Edwin and Adam, the Earl of Trancy apologizes for his butler's bluntness, and quickly ushers the two inside. After all, there are many questions Alois now has in mind for the two travelers, and something about the two Americans just naturally brings curiosity to the young Earl's mind.

* * *

Author's Post-notes:

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! If there are any errors, whether grammar, spelling, or anything in particular, please tell me so by reviewing. The next chapter would be a flashback, and it will be ready very soon. Thank you for reading!

Agent Ekis


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Hello again to my good readers! The following chapter is a flashback that took place a long time before the current story-line time, and I'm sorry for any confusion that I might cause in this chapter. I don't have anything else to offer, so enjoy!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 7

Fourteen years prior to the current events…

After a long and tedious day of hard work, Nathan Mackens returns to the massive Trancy Estate to retire for the day. As the head butler of Earl Trancy, Nathan's job does not only include the supervision of the other servants, but also the well-being of the Earl and his young wife, Countess Trancy. As such, the loyal butler has to keep the two entertained at all times.

With a dark and grim past behind him, the young Nathan never complains about his duty as a butler, and if anything, he enjoys his time and service with the House of Trancy. After all, his life had been a hard one, and he had been through times much worse times than this.

Or so he thought.

Just as the butler is about to enter his modest room in the servants' quarters, someone Nathan was not expecting greets him. Alone in the dimly lit hallway stands Countess Trancy, glancing at him with a warm and soothing smile. Her porcelain-like features shine delicately and beautifully under the moonlight, but as always, Nathan can feel the melancholy and subtle sadness in the lady's angelic, azure eyes.

"I hope your day went well, Nathan," Countess Trancy quietly says, the tenderness in her voice pleasing as ever.

"Lovely as always, Miss Trancy," the servant responds cheerfully, forgetting the sore and tiredness in his body, "How was your…"

The young Countess embraces Nathan and kisses him softly on the lips. Hugging the butler tightly, she stares into Nathan's thoughtful, emerald-green eyes for a place of comfort. The brown-haired servant returns a tender kiss, and a reassuring smile reaches the young man's lips.

"How are the twins doing?" Countess Trancy asks faintly, "I trust that you have taken great care of them in the village."

"Jim and Edwin are doing fine," Nathan replies comfortingly, "Mary."

Looking outside at the distant silver moon, the Countess Mary slowly lets go of Nathan.

"Mary, you shouldn't be here," the Trancy Butler says cautiously, "What if the Earl catches you?"

"That whoremonger is still out in London gambling with those shady men he call friends," Mary says bitterly, and turns back to Nathan, "I doubt he would be back until tomorrow morning."

A short, silent pause ensues. It had been three years since Nathan first met Countess Trancy. Back then, she was a young woman, not even twenty years of age, married against her will to the Earl of Trancy, a man more than twice her age. As the first daughter of a wealthy merchant in London, her marriage was not of love, but dim politics and money. Nathan, at that time, was only twenty, and as the newly hired butler of the House of Trancy, he serves the Earl and his young wife dutifully.

When the two first saw each other, they both instantly fell in love. The newly-wed daughter of a rich nobleman and the young man who just left the British Army after a long and bloody service, the power of love breached their thick social barriers, and created a series of events that would end almost tragically for the two strange lovers.

Thanks to Earl Trancy's carelessness and neglect towards Countess Trancy, her affair with Nathan went almost unnoticed. In less than a year, in the absence of her uncaring husband, Mary gave birth to a pair of twins with Nathan, whom the two named Jim and Edwin. As the Earl was unable to produce a child with Mary, the Earl being impotent, Nathan and Mary left the two infants in a nearby village to not gain suspicion, paying the villagers to care for them and occasionally visiting their two angelic sons.

"Nathan," the man's secret lover whispers, "I…I think…"

The Countess pauses, unable to finish.

"What is it, Mary?" Nathan asks softly.

"I think I have conceived another child from you."

The butler stands, frozen with shock and happiness.

"That is great news!" Nathan cries excitedly, "We are going to have another child!"

"I think," Mary continues and looks away, this time with a bit of distress in her voice, "That the Earl might have noticed."

The young man stands still, unable to move as anxiousness and fear washes over his body. For three years, Nathan had served as the head butler for the Earl of Trancy, and in those years, he had seen and learned of the Earl's cruel interests and invisible but deadly ties with the criminal underworld. His mind is swallowed by horror as he imagines what terrible things the Earl would do to Mary and himself if he finds out about their affair.

"Are," the butler asks slowly, "Are you certain of that?"

"I can see the suspicion in his eyes every time I look at him," Mary says and turns back to her lover, her voice becoming more and more nervous as she speaks, "He definitely knows that something is out of the ordinary. It will only be a matter of time before he will discover our relationship, and, and…"

Tears begin to pour down the young Countess's eyes, and she tightly hugs Nathan again.

"We have to keep you out of harm's way," Nathan says quickly, "We'll leave the manor. Tonight."

Staring worriedly into Nathan's green eyes, Mary is unable to speak.

"We will go to the village where Jim and Edwin are," the dark-haired butler says, embracing his loved one back, "The Earl will never find us there."

* * *

Author's Post-notes:

Thank you for reading! The name I picked for Countess Trancy is completely made up, as there is no reference to her first name in the anime. I am also, in the later chapters, going to be filling up unexplained or vague areas of the original canon story with my ideas, and I apologize if it would cause any confusion. Please review if you have any questions or advices! Thank you again for reading!

Agent Ekis


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes:

I apologize for the long delay between the chapters, and since I have nothing else to offer, please enjoy reading!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 8

The silver, eerie moon shines coldly above the unseen horizon. Through an open window, Edwin examines the dark and quiet night as time slowly passes, searching for nothing among the shapeless clouds. Bored, the young boy turns around and faces the interior of the small room.

The room is vaguely familiar, and from somewhere in the depths of his mind, Edwin feels that he had been here many times before. There is a large mirror placed near where Edwin stands, and walking towards it, the boy notices something peculiar. The person in the mirror staring back at Edwin is not himself, but a boy of a very similar appearance.

The stranger, just like the surprised Edwin himself, has the same flaxen, blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and smooth, porcelain-like skin. Unlike Edwin, the boy on the other side of the mirror is clad in fine clothing, much more elaborate and fancy than Edwin's.

Facing the mirror, the amazed Edwin stands speechless.

_Who is that person?_ Edwin asks himself, and puts his hands on the cold surface of the mirror.

Suddenly, the thin sheet of glass between him and his counterpart in the mirror disappears, and stumbling forward, Edwin is looking right at the peculiar boy with nothing in his way. A mysterious smile reaches the strange boy's lips, while Edwin stands still, frozen with amazement.

"Who are you?" Edwin manages to finally ask, "Why do you look just like me?"

The other blond boy does not answer Edwin's question, and his mysterious smile does not fade away.

"Answer me!" The American boy yells desperately and takes a step forward, demanding the truth behind all his nightmares, his past, and everything that had been haunting him from the bottom of his heart.

"What does all of this mean?" Edwin shouts, and increases his pace as he walks towards the other boy, "What are you trying to tell me?"

Suddenly, the smile, along with all signs of emotion, leaves the blond boy's face. Slowly, the boy points his right hand behind Edwin.

Turning around, Edwin finds himself staring at a silver moon hanging above a dark forest. He is no longer in the mirrored room, but standing on a small patch of grass on an open field, in the middle of that same dark, lightless night.

"What is this place?" Edwin wonders and takes a look around his mystifying surroundings, "I was in-"

The young blond freezes as he turns around and notices what is behind him.

A leafless, dying tree stands in front of Edwin, its colors and life since long had left its dry, blackened branches. At its base lies the noble boy in the mirror, clutching a gushing, bloody wound on his stomach. Just like the tree, the blond's textures had left his pale face; all that remains is a look of pain and despair.

Edwin takes a step towards the wounded blond, but before he can reach him, a slender figure dressed in black appears beside the powerless boy. The tall figure, which Edwin sees as a man, gently holds and raises the dying blond. With great difficulty, the blond weakly utters something into the air, but Edwin fails to hear. The darkly-clad man whispers back, and before Edwin can react, the slender figure, with its bare hands, stabs the defenseless boy in the head, instantly stealing him of the little bit of life he had left in his small, fragile body.

The American boy stares at the scene, speechless and horrified. The tall man then turns to Edwin, and stares into the boy with his powerful amber eyes. Immediately, fear travels through the boy's body and mind, as the blond boy realizes that this darkly dressed man must be something more than a human.

* * *

Edwin awakes to find himself covered in cold sweat. Throwing aside his soft blanket, he finds himself in a bed alone in a poorly illuminated room, the only source of light coming from the silver moon outside, hanging on the eternal night sky. Slowly, the young blond remembers the events that had taken place the previous night.

After allowing the two ragtag, dirt-covered travelers inside, the Earl of Trancy orders his servants to show the two to their separate guest rooms. _The night is late_, Edwin recalls what the Earl had said lightheartedly to his butler, _it would be most unkind if I were to not let these poor lads stay here for the night._

Immediately, an image of the bizarre earl enters Edwin's mind. There is no doubt that Earl Trancy is the boy in the mirror within his dreams. That also confirms the speculations he had made after his first accidental meeting with Earl Phantomhive, when the raven-haired boy had thought Edwin to be his nemesis, Trancy.

Sitting back against a soft pillow, a satisfying grin appears on the young blond's lips. After all the long travelling and clueless searching, Edwin has finally completed his father's final task. With a laugh, Edwin looks out the window into the darkness of the night.

"Father," the boy whispers quietly, "I've finally found him."

* * *

The bright, orange sun slowly rises from the dull horizon, bringing color to the calm, blue sky and white clouds. The lavender-haired maid quietly walks through an empty hallway of the large Trancy Estate, preparing herself for a busy day of work and the cruel treatment by the earl.

Turning around at a corner, the maid abruptly stops herself as she almost walks into someone.

"Oh, pardon me!" The man says in a pleasant tone, "I did not notice you turning around the corner."

"No sir," the tall maid says quickly with her face down, "I should be the one apologizing."

"Please don't say that," the man replies with a calm laugh, "the fault is all mine."

Looking up, the indigo-eyed woman is surprised to find herself talking with one of the American guests of the previous night. The man still wears the same, torn-up jacket from the night before, it is clear that he either slept in them or had not slept at all.

"Hannah, am I right?" Adam asks with a warm smile, "My name is Adam. I don't think we have properly introduced ourselves yet?"

"You-you are right, sir," the tan maid answers quietly, keeping herself from looking into his lustrous, emerald eyes, "We have not."

"And now we have!" The brown-haired man laughs earnestly, "I'm sure there's a busy day ahead of you, so I'll quit bothering you. Anyway, now that we know each other, I wish you a good day at work in this house."

"Thank you," the lavender-haired maid says quietly and hesitates for a polite response, "I wish you a good day too."

With a deep bow, Hannah turns away from Adam, and continues down the hall.

For the first time in this dust-filled estate, someone had treated the poor maid gently with kindness and respect. A strange feeling fills her heart, a sensation that she had not felt for many long and painful years. Yet, despite all the politeness the foreign gentleman had shown to her, Hannah feels that inside him lies something greater, and much darker than his appearance.

* * *

Shuffling through his messy traveling trunk, Edwin finds a plain, white shirt and a worn pair of pants he could wear for the day. The young blond did not go back to sleep after awaking from that bizarre and revealing dream, there were simply too much on his mind for him to rest.

The sun is now well above the faraway horizon, and the lone boy speculates that the time must be around nine or ten in the morning. As Edwin puts on his clothing, he hears two knocks from the door.

"I'll be ready in a minute!" The boy calls without looking.

Quickly buttoning up his loose shirt, Edwin walks towards the door, and answers his visitor.

"Good morning, Master Edwin!" Adam says with a bright smile, "I hope your night went well."

"Ah, good morning to you too," Edwin replies, fixing his collar, "Adam."

The loyal servant is still wearing the same old clothes he had on him since their leave from the Phantomhive Manor. Strangely, despite everything that the two had gone through since then, Adam appears fairly fresh and polished. The young blond's good friend and servant will forever be mysterious even to Edwin himself.

"The Earl should be having breakfast right now in the dining room," The brown-haired servant says, "I'm sure that you must be really hungry, you haven't eaten since yesterday midday."

Leaning towards the boy, Adam whispers playfully, "I do believe that they are serving your favorite, _bacon_."

Feeling a growl in his stomach, the boy smiles awkwardly and scratches his hair. He had spent the most of his life living with Adam, and Edwin imagines that the clever man must know the boy better than himself.

"I'm glad that you remember my favorite dish," the blond blushes, "a strip of pork can create such wonders."

Edwin's stomach growls again. The two Americans laugh in unison, enjoying this brief moment of happiness.

"Alright then," Edwin says as he closes the guest room's door, "Let's go."

* * *

Author's Post-notes:

Thank you very much for dedicating your time to my story!


	9. Chapter 9

Blood Brothers

Chapter 9

The azure morning sky is dotted with shapely clouds. Alois Trancy sits alone in his large, colorful garden, listening to the lovely chirping of small birds and enjoying his first meal of the day. From afar, the Earl of Trancy appears to be a fine gentleman, pleasuring himself with nature's beauty on a fine, sunny day. However, things are not always what they appear, especially when they cannot be carefully observed from afar.

Stabbing his food gracelessly into tiny bits with his knife, Alois sits with his right leg on top of the small marble table. Sighing, the young nobleman wonders why he is spending his morning in the boring garden, and not asleep on his comfortable bed.

"Of course," Alois cries to himself, a sense of excitement washing over his mind, "Those two Americans!"

Had could he have forgotten? He had so many questions just for the young lad. Why do they look so alike? They could not happen to be a long forgotten distant relative, could they? The young blond grins.

Why trouble himself with these questions now? He would know the answer as soon as that other boy shows up.

Suddenly, the earl hears footsteps coming from behind him. Annoyed, the mischievous boy remembers that he had specifically instructed his servants to leave him by himself. Who could this be? Of course, it _must_ be Hannah, that unworthy maid never does anything right.

Turning his head around, Alois prepares to scold, and perhaps beat, his ugly maid for disobeying his orders. Instead, the young earl finds an unexpected visitor.

Walking towards Alois is the blond boy from the previous night. _Damn you, Claude!_ A fake, begrudging smile appears on Alois's lips, _I told you not to tell them where I am!_

Removing his leg from the table, the young earl gets up on his feet, and greets the other boy.

"Did you enjoy your evening, Mr. Edwin?" Alois asks with an emotionless smile.

"Yes, Earl Trancy," Edwin responds cheerfully, "Your servants had treated me with well."

Now that Alois can see Edwin more closely under the bright, morning sun, the earl notices the other boy's plain and modest clothing. The blond earl is certain that Edwin does not come from a wealthy family.

"Of course," Alois answers, taking a quick look behind Edwin to make sure none of his servants are spying on them, "After all, that is what they are supposed to do. Oh, and please just call me Alois."

Despite the English boy's curiosity towards Edwin, Alois has to keep in mind that he is an earl, while the other is no more than a common peasant. Thus, he must behave like a nobleman. However, if he wishes to pry any information out of the boy to satisfy his inquisitive heart, Alois must at least act friendly in front of his lookalike, to gain his basic trust. The young earl's fabricated smile broadens; knowing he couldn't give less of a damn about Edwin.

"Alois, huh, that's an unusual name," staring into the earl's sky blue eyes, Edwin continues, "Its unusualness certainly suits its owner."

A strange feeling surrounds the young nobleman, as if he and Edwin are in some peculiar way connected. Alois senses a strong call from the depth of his soul, one he had not felt in many years. It is as if a bond, broken for a long, long time, is again being chained together.

"Well," Edwin's words brings the earl back to reality, "You've probably been wondering why our appearances are so similar."

Looking back at Edwin, the smile on Alois's lips begins to fade.

"Indeed," he answers shakily, a sudden fear starts to spread in the young earl's mind, "That is a question that had been stuck in my head every since I laid eyes on you."

What is this sense of paranoia? What is he afraid of? Alois is well aware of the ugly truth behind his own twisted game of masquerade, and just imagining that somebody else knows of his little huge secret scares him.

No. What terrifies Alois to the core is what he does not know, or does not wish to know. The much uglier truth is quickly unfolding in front of his eyes, and there is nothing he can do to stop it.

"The truth is," Edwin pauses for a second as Alois's mind snaps back to the real world, "That I am-"

Alois, with cold sweat pouring down his body, stands still, frozen with horror. He could see Edwin's lips move, but he cannot detect any words. A loud bang, followed by two more, had exploded through the Trancy Estate, preventing the earl from hearing Edwin.

Instantaneously, the two blonds shift their attention to the large manor, where a large window on the second floor balcony shatters into dozens of pieces. Edwin's eyes grow wide, as he identifies the sound to be a gunshot from none other but Adam's revolver.

* * *

Five minutes ago.

Alone, Claude Faustus paces quickly through the Trancy manor, with a submerged anger, sparked by mere annoyance, dwelling deep within him.

Just two short days ago, the demon had learned of the two travelling American's search for Alois.

No. Not Alois, according to his all-hearing ears, but Jim, Jim Macken to be specific.

This most certainly will bring unnecessary troubles to his scheme with the young earl.

Claude had planned to get rid of the two nuisances before they even set foot in the Trancy Estate, thus he hired a band of well-armed assassins to end their lives. Obviously, that did not work out well, but at least now he is aware of the capabilities of Adam and Edwin. They are no normal people, that is for sure.

Turning at a corner, the darkly-dressed butler soon reaches his destination. With no other knives to throw at the two, the demon has to deal with them personally. Claude sighs impatiently at the thought of dragging two corpses out of the manor and burying them deep in the woods after the sun is gone. Nevertheless, Claude is a demon, a tool of the devil, and taking lives is something he is rather skilled at.

Slowly opening the door that leads to his first victim's room, the butler quickly thinks over his almost-perfect plan. The child will not be a problem at all, and now that he is in garden speaking with Alois, Claude has a perfect opportunity to quietly kill Edwin's elder companion without making a mess.

A savage grin, revealing much of the demon's true, dark colors, grows wild on the butler's face.

_It will all be over soon_.

* * *

Edwin had told Adam to wait in the guest room while he speaks with the young earl. _This won't take long_, Edwin had said nonchalantly, _I hope that Earl Trancy will not be too shocked by what I am going to tell him._

The brown-haired companion is certain that his master would not be in harm's way at an occasion such as this. However, Adam does sense something strange in the large estate.

Since the moment Edwin and he entered the Trancy Manor, Adam had been feeling an unnatural, dark presence as he wanders through the halls. The experienced servant knows well of this strange yet familiar feeling, as it dwells deep within the depths of his distant memories.

Sitting alone on a small, cushioned chair, Adam glances out the half-curtained window at Edwin and the earl. Though he knows no danger is present for his master, the dutiful companion still watches out for his master.

Suddenly, he hears the door behind him creak, and quickly turns around. Standing there is Earl Trancy's stoic butler, gazing coldly at Adam as if the latter is a defenseless creature about to meet its doom.

"Good day to you," Adam says with a smile and gets to his feet, "Mister-"

Before the American could finish talking, three lustrous darts, thrown at an incredible speed, fly right towards Adam. With amazing reflexes, the brown-haired servant grabs the cushioned chair and blocks off the deadly razors. The surprised companion is more surprised as he finds that the darts are actually golden knives from the dinner table.

"What are you doing?" Adam yells, blocking and dodging two more knives in the process.

_How is this happening?_ Claude wonders desperately as he unsheathes more lethal silverware and leaps towards the agile American, _How is a simple human able to react to such speed and accuracy?_

Splicing the chair in half, the demon butler does not give his opponent a single chance of recovery.

Despite his flawless moves, Claude is unable to hurt Adam as the dexterous companion stops and dodges every attack the butler throws at him. Jumping from place to place, Adam's agility amazes Claude.

As the butler continues his attack, Adam finally finds the right chance and reaches for the Colt 45 hidden in his coat. Pulling the revolver out, the brown-haired servant quickly takes aim and fires just as a razor-sharp knife slices into his upper shoulder.

Dropping to the floor and rolling to his side, Adam fires two more rounds at Claude, who stands right in front of the large set of windows.

The bullets pierce through the butler's arm and chest, and smashes into the window behind him. Instantly, the glass shatters, but to Adam's shock, the butler still stands, with a look of only annoyance on his face.

"You," Adam shouts, his eyes growing wide with fear and spite, "You're a demon, aren't you?"

A morbid smile fills Claude's face, his amber eyes glow with malice. Turning towards Adam, the butler answers in an unnaturally deep voice, "A dead man needs not to know."

* * *

Author's post-notes:

Thank you for reading! Please write a review if you see any mistake in this chapter, or if you wish to express your view, or anything at all. Thank you again!

Agent Ekis


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes:

I've fixed a mistake I made in Chapter 7 by changing the setting from sixteen years to fourteen years ago. Sorry for the confusion, and thanks for reading!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 10

Claude throws another razor at Adam, but Edwin's companion leans to his left and dodges it. The butler is amazed at Adam's swiftness, but despite his agility, Edwin's servant is still clearly losing his fight. Adam may be fast and experienced, but at the current state, he is no match against a century-old demon.

Finally, Claude, displeased at the failure of his plan and annoyed at the unexpected efficiency of his prey, decides that the time has come for the battle to end. With incredible speed, Claude lands a powerful kick on Adam's stomach. The immense force pushes the wounded American back, and knocks him to his knees. Writhing in pain, Adam tries to stand, but his enemy launches another kick of similar strength against the injured young man, this time knocking him to the hard, wooden floor.

"I have to say," Claude says coldly as he walks towards his prey, "Your skills in combat were much above my expectations."

"Hah," Adam replies, gasping heavily for air and slowly moving towards the shattered windows, "Same to you."

"You are a worthy opponent," The dark-haired demon says as he prepares to end the life of Adam, "You have kept me quite entertained."

Stepping on Adam, the emotionless butler leans towards him prepares for the final strike.

Adam shuts his eyes and waits for Claude's attack, but the demon did not touch him. The young man looks back up, and notices the demon stumbling back, with a surprised expression on his pale face. A small red dot appears on his enemy's forehead, and blood begins to flow down his colorless face. Momentarily, the butler falls to the floor.

"Adam!"

Glancing out into the garden, Adam sees Edwin aiming his smoking revolver towards his direction. Earl Trancy stands frozen beside him, too shocked to respond to what is happening.

"Are you alright?" Edwin yells, lowering his weapon, "What the hell happened?"

Adam rises to his feet and stumbles towards the shattered window. Turning around, the brown-haired companion sees that Claude has already recovered from the shock, and is back on his feet. Quickly, Adam charges through what is left of the broken frameworks, and smashing through the glass, the young man finds himself in midair, two floors above ground.

"Adam!" Edwin shouts in fear as he watches his friend fall on to the gravel road.

To Edwin's surprise, Adam rolls over after hitting the ground, and rushes to his master immediately. The young blond runs towards his servant, but his companion reach him first.

Before Edwin could react, Adam picks him up, carries him between his arms like a child, and takes off running towards the entrance of the Trancy Estate. Alois is left behind, speechless and bewildered at the scene that is taking place.

"What are you doing?" Edwin screams at his friend, confused at his actions.

Taking a quick glance forward, Adam realizes that the large entrance gates have been closed, and there seems to be no other way of leaving the estate.

"I'll explain everything later," Adam quickly answers as the two are now near the outer walls of the mansion, "Just hold on to me for now, Master!"

With that, the brown-haired companion takes three large steps before leaping into the air. With a kick of inhuman strength against the ground, Adam, with Edwin between his arms, propels himself approximately five meters into the air, and lands smoothly outside the Trancy Estate. Without recovering, Adam dashes onwards.

What is happening? What _had_ happened? The shocked Edwin has too many unanswered questions. One thing can be certain for the blond boy, though, as Edwin is more than certain that his servant may be something more than a mere servant.

* * *

A man with emerald green eyes walks alone down a dirt path between two tender, green fields. The cool, morning breeze brushes softly against his brown hair, and looking forward, a smile reaches his lips as a woman and two toddlers appear in his sight.

The woman calls something at the dark-haired man, but her tone is so faint he could not comprehend what she had said.

As the man approaches the three people, a strange feeling of fatigue begins to flow through his body. Taking a few steps forward, the man glances back at them, but no matter how hard he tries, he could not see the features of their faces. The woman yells again, but he still cannot understand her.

The brown-haired man is getting desperate, and begins to run towards the three. As he jogs, his body becomes more and more tired, and finally, he comes to a stop. Gasping for air, he takes another look at the woman and the children.

Although they are less than ten yards from each other, the man is unable to see their faces, as if they are separated by an invisible barrier. The man shouts incoherently at the three, but they do not reply.

Tears begin to flow down the man's face, and dropping to his knees, the man yells. His words, too, cannot be understood.

* * *

"Master Edwin," A familiar voice calls from an unseen place, "Master Edwin!"

The young blond slowly opens his eyes, and sees Adam sitting on a stool near him. Looking around, Edwin finds himself lying on a bed in an old, deserted room. Despite the cracks on the walls and the damp smell of old wood, the room had been recently cleaned, and is at its best possible condition its current state can provide. The sun is down, and the only source of light comes from a small oil lamp, shining weakly, sitting near the bed.

"Master, you're finally awake," The dark-haired companion says with much relief, "You have been out since we left the Trancy Estate."

"Where," Edwin speaks as he rubs his head and continues to examine his surroundings, "Where are we?"

Adam does not respond, and a grave look appears on him. Slowly, the servant stands up, and quietly stares into the serene night sky through the small windows on the wall. Adam remains silent for a few minutes, before turning back to Edwin with a sad smile.

"This, Master," The dutiful companion says calmly, "Is where you were born."

Edwin's eyes grow wide, and a feeling of shock and confusion fills his mind. The young boy, for a while, is unable to respond, as his servant's words bring much surprise and disturbance to him.

"What do you mean?" Edwin finally replies weakly, "I was born in Virginia!"

The blond boy's voice intensifies, driven by confusion and the unwillingness to believe his companion.

"What are you talking about?" The blond boy says and leans towards Adam, "I grew up living with my father in his countryside farm! _You_ know that, you've been with me since I could remember!"

The boy's troubled companion is speechless, not out of surprise but anxiety, as he is unsure how he should tell his master the truth, or if his master can even accept it.

At last, Adam looks into Edwin's azure eyes, and with a soothing voice, asks,

"Do you remember what your father had said before his death?"

Regaining his composure, the boy replies reluctantly.

"I do, but I still do not understand any of it."

Adam nods, and with a glance, urges his master to continue.

"He told me to find," Edwin speaks, summoning into mind the memory of his father's last days, "No, he told me to bring the truth to _Jim_."

The boy looks down and says quietly, "But he never told what the _truth_ even meant, and I never found out who Jim was until yesterday."

"Which leads to my question for you," Glancing back at his friend, the boy continues.

"All I knew about Jim, which you had told me after my father's death, is that he is one of the few distant relatives I have, who happens to look very similar to me and lives in England."

Adam walks back to his seat next to Edwin's bed.

"So," Edwin asks sternly, "Does that relative I have happen to be the Earl of Trancy?"

Sitting down, the boy's companion starts to speak.

"Master, it's time that I should tell you about everything," Adam's words sound melancholic and regretful to the young blond, as if the dark-haired servant is about to tell a tragic story, "Your past had been hidden from you for far too long."

Looking into his master's sky-blue eyes, and with much sincere, the loyal servant begins to reveal a long untouched memory to Edwin.


	11. Chapter 11

Blood Brothers

Chapter 11

Twelve years prior to the current events…

Two short years had passed since Nathan and Mary's escape from the Earl or Trancy on that quiet night. Soon after their secret departure, Mary gave birth to Nathan and her third son. Unlike Jim and Edwin, who are now both four years old, the youngest child does not look very much like the other two. The infant's hair is of a rich, orange-reddish texture, unlike the two pale-blonds, and his eyes are dark grey in color, instead of sky blue like his brothers'. Nevertheless, his parents love him just as much as his brothers, and after some time, the two young couples decided to name the boy Luka.

Nathan and his family had taken refuge in a village unknown and unheard of to most, including, the young man believed, Earl Trancy. The five now live a calm and simple life, without much worries and regrets. Little do they know, their peaceful facade is going to soon be completely shattered.

* * *

A bolt of lightning flashes across the dark, stormy night sky as Nathan runs alone through an empty road in the middle of the village. The dark-haired man is soaked with rain water as he rushes through the muddy, puddle-ridden dirt road and past the other locked houses, towards his home near the edge of the small town. Despite the terrible weather, Nathan is happy at the thought that he would soon be spending the rest of this dreadful evening with the comfort of his family. A few minutes pass, and the young man finally reaches the wooden front door of his modest house. Knocking a couple of times, the door opens, and a feeling of warmth washes through the dark-haired man's body as he sees his lover.

"Nathan! Where have you been?" Mary cries as she pulls her husband inside and removes his drenching overcoat, "You had me worried sick, I thought something awful had happened!"

"I had to help some villagers on my way home," Nathan replies as he kisses his lover softly on the forehead, "And before I knew it, the sky became pitch black and began to rain."

"Dear, you're freezing cold," Mary speaks worriedly as she gently touches her husband's face, "You'll get sick if you don't get warmed up. I'll go prepare some tea for you."

"Thank you, love," The young man says calmly as he takes a seat by the fireplace. His wife then leaves the small living room to bring her fatigued, soaked lover some beverages.

Alone again, Nathan looks outside into the dark night, its expansive, pitch-black mass painted with sudden streaks of lightning. A small smile crosses the young man's lips, as he watches nature's wrath. With all its violence, the storm brings a strange feeling of peace amidst its fearful nature to Nathan, and with that, the young man closes his tired eyes for some rest.

Shortly, Mary returns with a cup of hot tea. Placing on a small table next to Nathan, the young woman takes a seat on the comfortable couch beside her husband. A particularly bright flash of lightning, followed by a violent roar of thunder, shakes the small house and its occupants.

"I've always hated summer storms," The blond-haired woman says nervously, "Ever since I was a child."

"I don't like it either," Nathan replies quietly, as he himself is also somewhat disturbed by the rough weather.

The young couple does not speak as the tempest continues, until a small voice from the staircase interrupts their silence.

"Mommy, I'm scared."

Turning around, the two sees a scared Edwin, in his nightgown, followed by Jim behind him. As soon as the boy finishes his sentence, the youngest son begins to cry in his cradle.

"Oh, come here you two," Their father says benevolently to his two elder sons, and turns to his wife, "Mary, would you mind taking care of Luka?"

"Of course, dear," The young wife answers and withdraws from the living room, leaving Nathan with the two children.

"Come, sit by daddy," The young man says warmly, "And tell me what is bothering the two of you."

The little blond boys climb up the couch and sits alongside their father, gently hugging him for protection from their childish fears.

"Is the storm scaring you two?" Nathan asks tenderly, and gently pats his son's fuzzy head.

The two young boys glance at their father with their big, tear-filled sky-blue eyes and nod slightly in unison.

"There are monsters in the dark," Jim says nervously, unable to let go of his childish paranoias, "And monsters are scary."

"Monsters," The young father replies confidently, "Do not worry. I've already scared _them_ away."

"Really?" Edwin asks doubtfully, the violent storm still a fearful sight to the young boy, "You really scared the monsters away?"

"Of course, Edwin!" Nathan boasts at his two sons, "There are no monsters that daddy can't beat!"

Jim and Edwin's faces brighten up with excitement and relief, and a big smile reaches them.

"Daddy's the best!" Jim yells happily and hugs his father tightly, and his twin brother.

Laughing warmheartedly, Nathan tenderly embraces his two children, silently wishing that times like these could last forever.

Suddenly, the young father's time with his children are disrupted when he hears three heavy thumps come from the entrance. As Nathan wonders who could be visiting him at such a late hour, the stranger on the other side bangs impatiently again, this time with more force.

"Who is it?" Nathan shouts as he goes to the door, but there came no reply. A sense of uneasiness flows through the dark-haired father, and quietly, he tells his children to return to their rooms.

As the puzzled boys leaves, Nathan reaches for the handle and opens the door a little to see who the uninvited guest is. To his surprise, the stranger is not a fellow townsfolk, but a bulk man covered from head to toe with clothing. The big man wears a large coat and a bowler hat, and a scarf conceals most of his face unhidden by his other garbs. The stranger's dark, cold eyes are all that Nathan could distinguish.

"Good evening lad," The bulk man speaks coarsely with a heavy accent, "My carriage broke down near here, do you mind if I come in?"

Nathan, through his past experiences, easily perceives that the man is lying. However, the young man does not know what the stranger could possibly wish to hide from him. Nevertheless, not wanting to put his family at risk, the young man politely refuses before closing the entryway. Immediately, the large man grabs the edge of the old door, and being much bigger and stronger than Nathan, he pulls the door open again. Staring menacingly at the startled smaller man, the stranger speaks again.

"I suggest that you let me in," The bulk man says in a rough, deep voice, "If you know what's good for you."

Frightened, more for his family than himself, Nathan reluctantly agrees to let the strange to enter his house. Once inside, the large man does remove any of his concealing attire, and walks to take a seat on the couch next to the fireplace.

"The weather is terrible at this time of the year," The unwelcome guest utters emotionlessly as he looks at the warm fireplace. Nathan does not respond, and takes a seat facing the other man.

As soon as Nathan sits down, Mary comes in the poorly-lit living room, curious at who their visitor is. The stranger turns around, and remains unmoving for a few seconds upon seeing the anxious young woman. Suddenly, the bulk man bursts out in a wild laughter, greatly perplexing the young couple.

"I was right from the start," The man laughs uncivilly, and turning to Nathan, he speaks loudly, "I've finally found you."

The fear in the hearts of the young man and his wife begins to rise rapidly, as the words spoken by the stranger pierces through their illusions of security.

"Excuse me," Nathan says shakily as he tries to evade truth, "But what do you mean by that?"

"You know damn well what I mean," The bulk man leans towards the young man, and utters grimly as he pulls down his thick scarf, "_Nathan Mackens_!"

Absolute horror fills the dark-haired man as he recognizes the man sitting in front of him as Derek Neville, one of Earl Trancy's top henchmen in the criminal world. As the former head butler of the Trancy Estate, Nathan knows Neville for his pure violence and brutality in dealing with his work.

Nathan sits frozen, with cold sweat pours down his forehead, as his mind races for a resolution, but in the bottom of his heart, he knows there are none. He thought that his family would not be found by the Earl, he thought that he could protect them from danger, and in the end, he had failed. After all those short, happy years, His affectionate family, Mary, Edwin, Jim, and Luka, everyone he loves and all that he has left in this dark world, are about to be torn away from him. A single tear drop flows down his face as he finally musters enough strength to speak.

"What do you want from me?" The young father asks mutely in defeat.

"From you?" Neville chuckles, "Oh no, I need nothing from _you_. In fact, I would let you unharmed."

Then, pointing at Mary, Neville continues, "The _lady_ is all that I need."

Silence fills the small living room as the atmosphere intensifies. His past had finally caught up with Nathan. Suddenly, a small voice shouts from behind Mary.

"You can't take mommy! She's ours, not yours!"

The three adults turns to look at the speaker, and to the Nathan and Mary's fear, it is Edwin. Their son, after hearing the commotion, had left Jim and his room to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Don't worry, mommy," Edwin says confidently, "Daddy said he would protect us!"

Neville, shocked at the sudden appearance of a young boy, begins another wave of crude laughter.

"Are those _your_ kids?" The thug chuckles as he stares into Nathan like a predator to its prey, "I can't believe you actually-"

"Do not lay a finger on them," Nathan says sternly, his fighting spirit slowly returning to him, "Or you'll regret it."

"Please," Neville says coldly as he lifts his coat and unholsters a loaded revolver, "I have no intention of harming anyone tonight, unless I have to."

Looking at the young man's family, Neville speaks again, "I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen."

Terrified at the thought of harm coming to his wife and children, Nathan hesitantly, and with all his ability, contains himself from retaliating to Neville's words.

"Mary," The dark-haired father says without looking, "Take Edwin up stairs for now. _You've always loved stormy days._"

The young wife understands his husband, and with a quick nod, takes her child to their second floor. As she carries her young son, Mary begins to quietly weep, as this could be the last time she would ever see her husband.

The time she had spent with Nathan was the best of her life. Never before had a man bring so much joy to her, and at the same time truly love her with tenderness and care. Nathan's love for her was real, unlike Earl Trancy, who arranged her marriage just so he could get her father's wealth and properties. As the young woman reaches the top of the staircase with her son, more tears flow down her delicate, pale face. She had finally found happiness, and yet in such a short time, it will all be gone. The only man she truly loves will be forever separated from her.

Suddenly a gunshot rings through the small house, followed by a heavy thud. Instantly, terror fills Mary's heart as she rushes downstairs, silently praying that her husband would be alright. Reaching the first floor, Mary sees her husband and Neville tangled together on the ground, throwing devastating punches against each other.

"Mary!" Nathan yells desperately as he tries to reach for the dropped pistol, "Get out of here with the kids!"

With haste, the young woman does as she is told, and runs into the dark, violent night with her children as Nathan keeps Neville on the ground.

Nathan was a soldier, and he had fought in some of the most brutal battles of his time before serving the Trancy Estate. Although he had not been in a fight for a long time, Nathan is still a fighter at heart. With a strong kick, the dark-haired father pushes his opponent back, and reaches for the revolver. Before Nathan could touch the gun, Neville gets on his feet, and grabbing the young man with both hands, lets out a savage roar as he throws him against the wall.

Pain rushes through the dark-haired man's body, but he does not give up. Standing up, Nathan charges into the bulk man, ramming him against the opposite wall. Letting out a painful cry, Neville pushes Nathan to the ground, and lands on top of the smaller man. Nathan again kicks his opponent off him, and this time, the young man manages to grab the revolver. Spinning around, Nathan points the gun at Neville, as the thug slowly raises both his hands and step away from his enemy.

All of the sudden, the young man hears a distinct scream from the outside. The voice belongs to Mary.

Leaving Neville, Nathan rushes into the thundering night and finds, to his horror, his family at gunpoint, taken hostage by the other thugs working for Earl Trancy.

"One more step and I'll shoot the kid!" One of the brutes yell through the heavy rain.

"No!" Nathan screams and drops his gun, "Please, don't hurt my family!"

"Get on the bloody ground!" Another thickly-clad hired-gun yells.

Hopeless, Nathan weakly falls to his knees, and puts his hands above his head. Cold rain, mixed with his warm tears, cover his face as the his worst fears become reality.

Neville had left the house, and upon seeing his prey incapacitated, a sick smile reaches his lips. Grabbing the pistol lying on the muddy road, the bulk man laughs crudely. With a powerful strike from the grip of his gun, the thug knocks Nathan unconscious.

"Good job, lads," Neville yells to his fellow henchmen as he drags the limp body of Nathan back to their carriage, "I'm gonna personally show this brat the consequences of messing with the Spider."

As reality fades away from him, the only thought Nathan had left in his mind was shame at the failure that he could not even protect his own family. With that, consciousness leaves the young man. His wife and kids begin to cry painfully at their father's defeat, and Mary, gently hugging her three sons, makes false promises of comfort to them in vain. She knows that her world would never be the same.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note:

I deeply apologize to my loyal readers about such a late update. I'm slowly succumbing to the summer's seductions! Enough with my blabbering, please enjoy the chapter, and review!

* * *

Blood Brothers

Chapter 12

Nathan returns to reality as a bucket of cool water splashes across his aching body. Opening his sore eyes, the dark-haired man tries to distinguish his surroundings, but everything he sees is vague and blurry. As he tries to move, Nathan notices that his arms and legs have been lashed to the worn-out chair he is sitting on. Slowly, memories from earlier of the day registers in his fatigued mind, and the young man groans in painfully as a sudden, tormenting pain fills his head.

"You are awake," A rough, cold voice calls.

Gradually, Nathan's vision improves, and with a quick glance, the young man perceives that he is in a small, dark room. In front of him stands Neville, and next to the brutish thug is none other than the Earl of Trancy himself.

A grotesque smile fills the Earl's freckled, pale face, and with just one cold, sinister stare from his emotionless blue eyes, a feeling of hopelessness enters Nathan's mind.

Finally, after those short years, the young man had been captured. Tears begin to roll down Nathan's forlorn features as he realizes that everything would soon be over. Like a butterfly entangled on an infinite web sewn by a sly, ever-observant spider, Nathan realizes that another chance for escape, for freedom, is impossible. Hope had never been more out of reach for the young man. How foolish of him to think that he and Mary could ever escape from the boundless web of Earl Trancy.

Nathan Mackens closes his eyes, and old memories begin to flash through his thoughts. His childhood spent as an abandoned orphan; his fights as a soldier of the Empire in long-forgotten wars on long-forgotten lands; his years as the butler of the vile Earl Trancy; his short-lived life of happiness with Mary; and finally, Jim, Edwin and Luka. His family had been all that he had, and now, he is about to lose them, his only joy in this dark world.

"What," Nathan finally asks weakly, and glances at the Earl, "What could you get from me? You are the Queen's Spider, the Earl of Trancy. You have the power and influence I would not gain in a hundred lifetimes, yet you relentlessly searched for me. You do not love Mary in the least, but that did not stop you. What could you possibly want from a man with nothing left in this world?"

The Earl steps forward towards Nathan, and gazes into the defeated man's emerald eyes. The blond-haired man chuckles, and puts his heavy hands on Nathan's shoulders.

"You should know by now," The Earl of Trancy says nonchalantly and releases the young man from his merciless grip, "That I am a greedy man."

Turning his back at Nathan, the Earl unhurriedly walks around the confined room.

"The most important thing in this world, is, obviously," The blond man spins around and looks coldly at Nathan, "_Money_."

"Money?" Nathan stares back at the Earl, and after a short pause, asks desperately, "What do you mean?"

The blond Earl walks back to the dark-haired man, and the coarse sound of laughter fills the cramped room.

"You see, Nathan," Earl Trancy speaks slowly as he moves without haste around the tied-up man, "When I wed...Mary, right, that's her name, I purchased a few financial insurances to protect my and her well-being as husband and wife. Now, if one of us were harmed, or perhaps, died of-"

"No!" Nathan yells in anguish and interrupts the Earl, "Please...I beg you, leave Mary alone! Kill me instead, just-"

"And what would I gain from doing so?" The Earl of Trancy stops in front of Nathan and stares into the young man's hopeless, emerald eyes.

"You and the woman have outlived your usefulness to me," The blond Earl says emotionlessly, and leans towards Nathan before continuing in a whisper, "Your lives are meaningless now."

Turning around, the Earl of Trancy walks slowly towards the door. Before disappearing, the Earl mutters his last words Nathan would ever hear.

"An insect trapped on a spider's web would be its to devour, after all."

* * *

"So, how should I do it?" Neville asks wickedly as he sharpens one of his large knifes, "Should I shoot you, cut you, strangle you, or kill you in some other way that you would prefer?"

Nathan does not respond as he sits with his head hanging low, with only thoughts of regret and despair in his mind. His life would be soon over, and Mary too would die. Suddenly, the young man's eyes snap open, and he looks at the brutish thug.

"What would you do to my three sons?" The young father asks desperately, "They're innocent, they've done nothing wrong. Harming them would not gain you anything!

Neville chuckles, and does not look back at the dark-haired man.

"I should inform you that," The Earl's criminal says with a repulsive grin, "While you and Mary were gone, Earl Trancy had taken a special interest in young boys."

Nathan's green eyes grow wide with fear. A deep sense of dread fills the young man's sorrowed heart, and hopelessly, he tries to break free from the chair.

"No!" Nathan screams futilely, "You cannot do this to them! Not this! Please, kill me, just leave them be!"

"I _am_ going to kill you," Neville answers with a crude laugh, "And when you're dead, you won't feel the pains your family would."

Finally, after a little more fruitless struggle, Nathan gives up. Closing his eyes, the dark-haired man silently prays that this is all a dream, a terrible nightmare, and when he opens them again, this would all be over.

"Please," The young man pleads quietly with his eyes sealed shut, "To whatever gods there may be, I beg you to end this all. I'll give up everything; my body, my life, my soul. Please, just save my family!"

As Nathan continues to offer hopeless prayers, the only response he could hear in the small, dark room is the sound of Neville grinding one of his many knifes. Slowly, the mundane noise begins to mesmerize the young man's senses, and little by little, Nathan loses his consciousness. Finally, his weakened mind collapses, and no longer awake, and the dark-haired man drifts into another world.

* * *

Minutes that seem like hours pass, and Nathan, like a lost soul, travels aimlessly between the realms of reality and fiction. Images, vivid memories of a distant past, bombard Nathan's fatigued mind. Yesterday seems like an eternity away, forever out of reach for the desolate man. Gradually, as the last glisters of hope abandon Nathan, the young father quietly apologizes to his family in despair.

"Is that so?" An unfamiliar voice suddenly answers.

Nathan opens his eyes, and, to his surprise, he is no longer alone in the dark, confined room. Instead, the young father now stands alone in the middle of a large, untamed forrest. Wild flowers and small patches of grass covers the dirt ground, and a shining, silver moon hangs high in the star-filled night sky above.

Looking around, the dark-haired man is completely lost in the mysterious forrest. A peculiar, sweet scent flows through the thick, humid air as Nathan walks alone. While he examines his surroundings, Nathan catches a glimpse of a silver gleam in the distance. Upon a closer examination, the young man realizes that the light is the reflection from the lustrous, white fur of a large, pale wolf. The creature is staring right at Nathan, and is silently watching his every subtle move.

The white wolf takes a step forward, and treads calmly towards Nathan, who is standing still, frozen with wonder. Strangely, the mystifying being does not frighten Nathan, but by looking at the large beast, the young man feels a sense of comfort. The creature soon reaches the young man, and stops in front of him. Quietly, it gazes, with its large amber eyes, at Nathan, and the emerald-eyed man glances back. Without a word, the man and the beast stares into each other, and a powerful sensation fills the young man's heart.

"So," A voice calls, "Why have you summoned me?"

Nathan, recognizing the voice from earlier, attempts to look for its source. However, he finds nobody present but himself and the white wolf in front of him. Slowly, the man takes a closer look at the large creature, and realizes that the speaker is none other than the wolf itself.

"You've...you're the one who had answered to my prayers?" Nathan asks with much perplexity, "Just who are you?"

The white wolf's soothing gaze does not leave Nathan as it answers him.

"I am a demon," The pale creature replies.

"A demon?" The dark-haired man repeats the wolf's words unbelievingly, "But you're a wolf, and wolves are not demons."

"I am a demon in the form of a wolf," The amber-eyed creature continues after a short pause, "Or rather, the form you see me in happens to be that of a wolf's, as my appearance simply reflects your deepest desires."

"My deepest desires?" Nathan asks, and instantly, memories from just moments before rushes back into his mind, "Mary! Oh no, the boys!"

The white wolf does not respond to the young man's distress, but Nathan is certain that he saw a faint smirk showing on the beast's lips.

"Please," Nathan begs desperately, "You have to save my family, I'll do anything you ask!"

"Anything, you said?" The sly smile of the pale creature grows wider, "Then are you willing to make a contract with me?"

"I'll do anything it takes," The young father answers immediately, "If you will save my family."

Slowly, the large wolf turns around, and begins to walk away from Nathan. Surprised, the young man attempts to follow it, but no matter how fast he walks, he could not catch up to the mysterious being.

"Wait!" The man yells in aguish as he tries to run after the pale creature, "Where are you going?"

"Carrying out your orders, _Master,_" The white-furred demon calls as it leaves its new lord, "I am going to save your family."

Upon hearing the creature's words, Nathan becomes overjoyed with relief and happiness. After all, there is hope, and although the young man is unwary of what lies ahead of him, he knows that there still is a chance that his family could be saved. Slowing down, Nathan stops running, and as he catches his breaths, he calls out to the wolf one last time.

"You have never told me your name!" Nathan shouts again at the slowly vanishing being.

"Call me Adam," The white wolf answers without looking back, "That is my name, Master."

When the demon is finally out of Nathan's reach, the large wolf ceases its running, and begins to walk. Quietly, it murmurs into the thick, dense air, "I am going to save what remains of your family."

* * *

Author's Post-notes:

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this chapter, and again, I am sorry for the long wait. Thank you for your reviews!

P.S. - I miss you, Phantom Ou, please update soon!


End file.
